Friday, December 13, 2013

The hardest
part of recovering from the replacement of my right hip is waiting for my other
hip to be replaced. I just want to get it done so I can put the whole double
hip replacement process behind me and kick recovery into high gear. Right now
I'm in purgatory trying my best to stay active and get strong knowing that on
December 23rd I get to go through the whole hip replacement process again on the left hip. But then it will be DONE and then I can put all my
effort into getting strong. This in between surgeries is taking it's mental
toll.

Game
plan....hang tight until December 23rd, let Dr Yun have is way with me and from
there on all the pain of recovery will be headed in a positive direction. "Good pain". When the last hip is replaced the ice packs
and the stiffness and pain after each ride will be acceptable. I'm giving
myself six months from December 23rd to feel strong and to once again stroke
my (soon to be) sixty year old ego passing the properly contoured Lance
wannabes on my Catrike 700. I can feel their youthful energy now as I pass them
on my tricycle and they tuck down a little lower and shift gears.
It's petty but I still get a kick out of it. I also look forward to towing my
ole girl Betzi around town on my Expedition.

Oh the triken life is right around the corner. I must master the art of patience and good
things will unfold.

Monday, December 9, 2013

On December 8th a cyclist was killed after a sheriff's car struck him on Mulholland Hwy in Calabasas, CA. The sheriff seems to be clearly at fault for the cyclists death. But if you look a little closer at the road where the cyclist was killed it seems that the clueless designers responsible for the road configuration should be held accountable. The road in this posh area used to have two lanes of traffic each way. It was recently redesigned down to one lane of traffic each way with generous green belts and a four foot token bicycle lane which includes a one foot gutter. Motorists are left with a twelve foot section of road which also includes a one foot concrete gutter. It's obvious that the planners of this ill conceived design were more concerned about the look of the new roadway in this well do area of Southern California then the safety of cyclists who regularly use this road. This is a new road!! Motorists and cyclists are forced to share a small section of road flanked by concrete curbs that leave no room for error or passing. In September of 2014 the three foot rule for motorists passing a cyclist will be the law in California. Try accomplishing that when you have a cyclist and motorist sharing a sixteen foot wide road which includes a one foot gutter on each side.

With ample space the redesign of this section of Mulholland was a perfect opportunity for designers to create a reasonable and safe separation between motorists and cyclists. Designers chose form over function and now a cyclist is dead. This road is an example of systematic ignorance on the part of City Planners and road designers. They continue to ignore the safety of cyclists at time when more people are enjoying cycling for health, commuting and shopping locally in support of small businesses..

Cycling has many benefits for the individual as well as for the community as a whole. It's time that City Planners take into account the safety of cyclists as well as motorists and provide safe roads that we can all travel on.

Sunday, December 8, 2013

“Not all athletes with ADA defined disabilities fit into a Paratriathlon medical classification or are able to follow the strict equipment usage rules of Paratriathlon. Accordingly, USA Triathlon offers a PC Open Division as an accommodation for those persons who wish to participate in a sanctioned event but who will not follow some Paratriathlon rules.”

Mark Tracy Rackow

I live and play along the Central Coast of California. Born in 1953 (you do the math) I've had joints repaired more times then I would like to remember and a heart attack. But it hasn't stopped me. I created my blog in July of 2009 to share thoughts and information about recumbent cycling as others have shared with me. Also I take a occasional detour into family, hiking and useless musings. RIDE ON!!